NATO’s top commander in Europe says alliance has no plans to attack Kaliningrad

BERLIN, October 16. /TASS/. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich says that the alliance has no plans to attack or isolate Russia’s Kaliningrad Region.

"We have no intention of launching such operations against Russia," he told Der Spiegel magazine. "So Russia has nothing to worry about regarding Kaliningrad." He described NATO drills on its eastern flank as "routine," purportedly intended to demonstrate that the alliance "is ready for combat at any time."

Earlier, media reports said that Grynkewich had presented a concept called the "Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative" at the Warsaw Security Forum. The first stage envisions deploying a network of ground-based drones and unmanned aerial vehicles to create an isolated zone and reduce personnel losses. The plan also includes the deployment of long-range missile systems against strategic targets, including communications hubs, command centers and air defense positions in the Kaliningrad Region, Belarus and the vicinity of St. Petersburg.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stressed that any act of aggression against the Kaliningrad Region would trigger a devastating response using all available means, and that the war would be very short.